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Wednesday, May 25
Fayetteville, AR
All Day
Rice University
vs
NCAA West Prelims
Three Owls Advance to NCAA Championships
5/26/2022 10:07:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Forbes repeats as NCAA West 10,000m champion
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Rice Owls women's track and field team shined on day two of the NCAA West Prelims on Thursday, qualifying three athletes for the NCAA Championships and just nearly missing out on a fourth.
Sophomore sensation Grace Forbes capped the evening with her second consecutive NCAA West 10,000m crown, winning with a time of 33:35.30, leading for almost the entirety of the race. Seeded eighth entering the race, Forbes clinched her sixth career combined NCAA Championship appearance between her T&F and cross country careers. Forbes will now gear up for the 10,000m in Eugene, which will take place Thursday, June 9 at 10:08 p.m. (CT).
Fellow sophomore Tara Simpson-Sullivan also qualified for her second straight NCAA Championships with a fifth place result (67.87m) in the hammer throw. Simpson-Sullivan will be making her third NCAA Championship appearance overall after improving upon her sixth-ranked seeding. She will now prep for her Eugene appearance, which will take place Thursday, June 9 at 5 p.m. (CT).
Junior thrower Erna Gunnarsdottir secured her first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance by grabbing the 12th and final qualifying spot in the shot put with a throw of 16.93m. She will also compete on June 9 at 9:40 p.m. (CT).
Junior distance runner Alyssa Balandran nearly became the fourth Owl to qualify for Eugene after finishing 23rd overall in the prelims of the 800m with a sensational time of 2:07.19. Only a tough heat in which she finished fifth prevented Balandran from advancing to nationals.
The Owls closed out competition on Saturday with Josie Taylor tying a season-best height of 1.76m to finished tied for 13th while Ginnie Okafor placed 42nd in the triple jump with a distance of 12.09m.
"We competed very well this weekend," Rice head coach Jim Bevan said. "We brought six athletes and they all finished higher than their seed. I'm proud of Alyssa, Ginnie, Josie, Tara, Grace and Erna. We are returning all of them next year and nothing takes the place of experience. You cannot buy it, you have to earn it and they all will be back next year and Julie Perez is also a previous qualifier so that takes us to seven. We're looking forward to our three that have earned the next step in Eugene in two weeks!"
Rice Competitors
(10,000m)
1. Grace Forbes - 33:35.30
(Hammer Throw)
5. Tara Simpson-Sullivan - 67.87m (222-8)
(Shot Put)
12. Erna Gunnarsdottir - 16.93m (55-6.50)
(800m)
23. Alyssa Balandran - 2:07.19
(High Jump)
13. Josie Taylor - 1.76m
(Triple Jump)
42. Ginnie Okafor - 12.09m
-RiceOwls.com-
Sophomore sensation Grace Forbes capped the evening with her second consecutive NCAA West 10,000m crown, winning with a time of 33:35.30, leading for almost the entirety of the race. Seeded eighth entering the race, Forbes clinched her sixth career combined NCAA Championship appearance between her T&F and cross country careers. Forbes will now gear up for the 10,000m in Eugene, which will take place Thursday, June 9 at 10:08 p.m. (CT).
Fellow sophomore Tara Simpson-Sullivan also qualified for her second straight NCAA Championships with a fifth place result (67.87m) in the hammer throw. Simpson-Sullivan will be making her third NCAA Championship appearance overall after improving upon her sixth-ranked seeding. She will now prep for her Eugene appearance, which will take place Thursday, June 9 at 5 p.m. (CT).
Junior thrower Erna Gunnarsdottir secured her first NCAA Outdoor Championships appearance by grabbing the 12th and final qualifying spot in the shot put with a throw of 16.93m. She will also compete on June 9 at 9:40 p.m. (CT).
Junior distance runner Alyssa Balandran nearly became the fourth Owl to qualify for Eugene after finishing 23rd overall in the prelims of the 800m with a sensational time of 2:07.19. Only a tough heat in which she finished fifth prevented Balandran from advancing to nationals.
The Owls closed out competition on Saturday with Josie Taylor tying a season-best height of 1.76m to finished tied for 13th while Ginnie Okafor placed 42nd in the triple jump with a distance of 12.09m.
"We competed very well this weekend," Rice head coach Jim Bevan said. "We brought six athletes and they all finished higher than their seed. I'm proud of Alyssa, Ginnie, Josie, Tara, Grace and Erna. We are returning all of them next year and nothing takes the place of experience. You cannot buy it, you have to earn it and they all will be back next year and Julie Perez is also a previous qualifier so that takes us to seven. We're looking forward to our three that have earned the next step in Eugene in two weeks!"
Rice Competitors
(10,000m)
1. Grace Forbes - 33:35.30
(Hammer Throw)
5. Tara Simpson-Sullivan - 67.87m (222-8)
(Shot Put)
12. Erna Gunnarsdottir - 16.93m (55-6.50)
(800m)
23. Alyssa Balandran - 2:07.19
(High Jump)
13. Josie Taylor - 1.76m
(Triple Jump)
42. Ginnie Okafor - 12.09m
-RiceOwls.com-
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Sprints/Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Throws
/ Women's Track & Field
Jumps
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